Baba Amte threatens to exercise right to exit

Noted social worker and recipient of the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay award Baba Amte has threatened to exercise his "right to exit" if the state government continues to "neglect" Anandwan and delays forwarding sanctioned grants to the 'home' he founded for the leprosy affected.

His outburst came on Saturday when Deputy chief minister R R Patil and state health minister Vimal Mundada visited Anandwan to meet Amte.

There are over 4,500 inmates at the ashram who have, for many days in the past, been going without pulses or vegetables in their meals. Amte, who will complete 90 years of age on December 26, too skips having pulses or vegetables when his institution fails to provide them for the inmates.

The Maharashtra Social Welfare Department has not released Anandwan's monthly grant totalling Rs 82.42 lakh for the past two years despite having necessary sanctions. "If this continues beyond December 26, I will launch a fast and exercise my right to exit," he told Patil.

Amte said that though Anandwan got donations and funds for construction of new buildings and purchasing specific articles that the 'ashram' requires, it could not be run on the income it generated.

A senior office bearer of Anandwan charged that officials from the Social Welfare Department were "indifferent and very insulting" when they visited Anandwan. "They are known to have sanctioned grants and forwarded funds immediately after their visit elsewhere, but when they come to Anandwan they want a headcount and other proofs," he said.

Meanwhile, Amte recalled that chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh had recently written a letter congratulating him on receipt of an international award. Prime minister Manmohan Singh had also written enquiring about Baba's deteriorating health.

He showed both letters to the visitors with a caustic remark to the effect that courtesy was no substitute to food in the belly.

Amte said that a day before the scheduled visit of the deputy chief minister, officers from the social welfare department had come calling with a cheque of Rs 25 lakh. "What did they want to prove? They knew you were coming and wanted us to remain silent," quipped a member of the Amte family.

Later, Baba Amte's son Vikas took Patil and Mundada around and showed them various activities run at Anandwan.